Observation and Sampling Approach

The purpose of this document is to define how the OOI operates the various in situ sensing elements of the system (sensors and mobile platforms) to ensure the collection of temporally and spatially optimal data and samples that address the overarching science goals of the program. It has two purposes: 1) to guide program personnel involved with the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the observatory, and 2) to inform potential users about how observations are routinely collected.

This document has a deliberate “temporal maturity” component. Early releases help the software developers understand the “higher level” aspects of sampling, and operational planners implement the procedures required for the deployment, testing, validation, and acceptance of the instruments/platforms/arrays. Later releases will focus on defining the optimal, sustainable sampling rates for scientific discovery. The tables contained in the document are evolutionary in nature and can be modified through the change control process prior to deployment and periodically during operations.

Funding for the Ocean Observatories Initiative is provided by the National Science Foundation through a Cooperative Agreement with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Internal | PMO/MIO Log in